It has been quite a while since his name has been in the national spotlight, but former BYU star Taysom Hill has finally made it to the NFL. After going undrafted, the quarterback signed as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers. With tremendous speed and intelligence, Taysom Hill has the potential to be a solid player at the pro level.
Taysom Hill Can be a Solid NFL Player
Skill
There is absolutely no doubting the speed of Taysom Hill. Hill ran a 4.44 40 yard dash at his Pro Day and stood out in his other drills. In 2013, Hill ran for over 1300 yards and piled up another 1000 throughout parts of four, injury-plagued seasons. This rushing ability, combined with his solid completion percentages at BYU projects him to be a solid dual threat quarterback. Hill showed great strength by staying for five years at BYU despite numerous injuries. Hill played with great confidence and poise despite his injury history, which is a strong indication of his character. High character players make it far in the NFL, which could help Hill stay around in the NFL long enough to get a chance at a starting job.
Injuries
The main reason why Taysom Hill went undrafted was his lengthy injury history. From a knee injury in 2012 to a hyper-extended elbow in 2016, Hill has dealt with plenty of injuries. While he has never allowed an injury to affect his play the following season, he has had his season cut short by injury in four of his five seasons at BYU. His lone healthy season came in 2013, when he threw for nearly 3000 yards and ran for over 1300 yards. If Hill can stay healthy, the Packers are getting a lethal dual-threat quarterback as an undrafted free agent.
Time to Grow
If Hill ends up on the Packers 53-man roster come September, Hill will have the opportunity to learn and grow behind superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Hill can learn from one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today and will get the opportunity to simply grow as an NFL player without taking any snaps. Hill will not have to risk any in-game injuries as a third-string quarterback and can improve his value to other front offices by learning more about the game of football and adding on to his skillset as a quarterback. As long as hill makes the 53 man roster for Green Bay, the possibilities are endless.
Consensus
In the end, the sky is the limit for Taysom Hill. No one truly knows if he will ever become the player he was in 2013. However, that doesn’t seem to scare away Green Bay, who took him on a no-risk signing. If Green Bay decides against keeping Hill on their team, Hill should be able to find work elsewhere. Teams like the Chargers are looking for future replacements for their franchise quarterbacks, which could lead them to giving Hill a chance. If no NFL team is interested, the CFL is always a possibility. Players like Warren Moon have gone undrafted and succeeded in the CFL and later come back to the NFL to find a starting job. Hill has the potential to be a solid NFL player, he just has to stay healthy.
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